Our history
The story of a community
The initial mention of gig rowing in Port Isaac occurred after a RNLI meeting, a crew member described what he’d seen at Padstow and Cadgwith, where there were established clubs. Another of the group knew about Newquay Rowing Club since the 1970s. It was decided to check out this sport. Newquay and Padstow invited the novice rowers to have a go rowing, singing and drinking the odd pint.
This inspired interest in the village. The whole community was involved and a committee was formed, complete with a constitution in 1990. Finances from North Cornwall District Council, to fund a gig, trailer, oars and boat cover was obtained. The club had to raise a percentage of the money borrowed with 5 years to pay it back.
Donations were made by many people, local and further afield. Share certificates were sold, the Primary School, ran a competition to produce a design used on club clothing and a competition for the name was organised. People paid to vote from a shortlist of gigs that had rowed from the harbour. Tom Sawyer, Jane and Corsair. ‘Corsair’ won.
Peter Reveley from Padstow, was commissioned as builder, he had already constructed Dasher and Cape Cornwall.
Corsair was launched in Port Isaac on Easter Sunday 1991.
An introduction to our three boats
Corsair
Unity
Unity was purchased in 2000, from funds raised from club membership fees, regattas, gig pushes and other small events and was much needed as the club was thriving; regular rowing 3 times a week for men and ladies and once a week for juniors. Unity had originally been built by Tom Chudleigh in 1978 for Newquay Rowing Club. It had been sold to Yealm Rowing Club and renamed ‘Hornet’. Their other gig being called ‘Wasp’. She was brought to the village, painted in Port Isaac Rowing Club colours, and given her old name back, after asking Newquay Rowing Club’s permission. Peter Williams carried out extensive work on Unity to make her more seaworthy and compatible to race on the sea against Corsair.
Roscarrock
Roscarrock’s name was chosen by popular vote among the club’s membership after the steep hill near where the gig shed is located, in April 2005. Peter William’s who’d previously worked on Unity, built her. Roscarrock being his second gig, the first was Torrent, built for Boscastle and Crackington Gig Club, from the same Scottish Elm tree. Roscarrock looks and feels spectacularly different from the club’s two other boats, lightweight and varnished inside with red bottom boards. The launch was shown live on Spotlight with many folk watching on from the beach and accompanied by the Fisherman's Friends.
